This is a quick report from my mid-winter day’s dream-come-true.
I had the great privilege today to encounter the author of The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho. I was able to greet him on behalf of Cyres.
Today the European Commission has honored Paulo with the title of European Ambassador in the context of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, and to him go our thanks for taking on this challenge.
Not surprising to me, droves of people were building around him at the VIP corner, where he joined a group of children with a culturally diverse background, before the conference. It was there that I got a first chance to express my personal gratitude and the one on behalf of Cyres. I also met his Assistant who kindly mentioned Cyres on Paulo Coelho’s blog, which is an inspirational platform of intercultural exchange, a meeting point of minds that conquer boundaries with love and light. It’s here where the written word goes beyond the bound pages of a book, and here the human being is able to interact, reach out over the limitations of their own perceptions, connect with like-minded ones in thought, and weave a colorfully patterned web between people of unimaginably different backgrounds, from various nations, all speaking different languages. It may just be me, but I perceived him, Paulo Coelho, just like them: his readers, fans, and friends; I feel he combines all in so many ways and reflects aspects of all these human beings that it is now difficult to point to the one I like best.
Virtually lead by serendipity, it was possible for our blogs to meet. With great pleasure we noticed that they have already started to engage into the so much needed intercultural dialogue. One wonders, why should connecting offline be so much more difficult than online? Hence my quest today… and whilst I leave this question open for you to comment, please read more about my encounter.
MySpace made it possible for me to learn that Paulo Coelho would be in Brussels and since I only knew a short moment in advance, I was not able to find out any details. I left in full faith that I would meet Paulo that day, and so I did. How?
A very humbled Lydia of Light Serendipitous Adventures has collected every blinking pebble in the moon light for Cyres on the way to the event. She confused an L with an R (her left foot didn’t know where her right foot went) and, as such, even typos became signs on the side of the road. Well, to be brief, it’s difficult to explain how it was orchestrated that I would have no problem whatsoever to attend the conference at the philosopher’s Stonehenge, the Berlaymont Building, which opened its gates at 12.00 pm to me and many more who wanted to report about the Commission’s move toward togetherness on a community level.
Paulo Coelho gave his acceptance speech, and every word went straight to the core of the matter for which the conference had been called. He touched the question of what connects people, where do we have commonalities, and how can harmony come about? He had commented on the dry path to unity on which, more than once, people had asked for a glass of water but never really got to wet their throats in perfect language and agreement. Until they now connected on an interpersonal level for the intercultural dialogue to start happening, as almost three quarters of EU citizens believe that people with a different ethnic, religious, or national background actually enrich each other’s lives, and the world. This was what a survey revealed which was conducted between 13 and 17 November 2007, and now, in 2008, this already high percentage can go ahead and convince the rest of the 23%, who felt that it wasn’t so. More about this survey on the Europa website.
A year is about to challenge the Ambassadors (there are seven in total and I invite you to go to the official page to find out who the other ones are), to remind Europe that 2008 has started a commitment to a process which will need more time. And they will, time and time again, be reminded that differences will need to be accepted, and ideally overcome for further enhancing relations and as such increase the positive development towards European unity.
Europeans in their great efforts need all the help they can get. Perhaps it’s sometimes a daunting task to unify Europe, and as Commissioners they need the collaboration of you, dear Reader, for creating awareness greater than the current knowledge of the how-to implement and promote a harmonious intercultural dialogue. It’s a tough call to help nations out of war into unity in less than 100 years of solitude, but my conviction is that perhaps with the help of accident and sagacity, eventually mankind will be guided toward tolerance, acceptance and harmony.
When people come together despite diversity, it is because they have a common goal, which allows them to look beyond each other’s differences. A challenging goal with a long-term commitment, which will need all the help it can obtain. For more info, please visit the official site.
Cyres is glad to have been able to report on this event, and on the honors, and is willing to lend that helping hand. It will remain stretched out, and even more so in the future, when you, dear Readers, come together in diversity, interact here, add your comments, tell us how you feel, engage in this discussion on here and wherever you get a chance to. Feel free to be moved to action, understanding how words can touch hearts, connect minds and create reality, be the intercultural dialogue that’s happening now.
Cyres is happy and grateful that it can encourage and invite its large readership to exchange thoughts right here (take inspired action in ‘Comments’ below).
Previous stepping stones of the story:
http://cyrescafe.net/blog/storyteller/the-magician-in-belgium-on-tuesday/
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